The Summoning

The Summoning
Author: Kelley Armstrong
The Darkest Powers #1
Pages: 390
My Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: (From Goodreads)
 After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home.

At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…

My Review:

 Three words to describe The Summoning: awesome, intriguing, and creepy.  I was so surprised by this book, I wasn't expecting to like it THAT much, but as soon as I started reading, I was sucked in.

 I did love the plot in The Summoning. It was original and something I hadn't seen much of before. And, WOW, well, let me tell you-it ended on such a big note, a bit of a cliffhanger. I can't say much for fear of spoiling something, but it was just plain amazing! If you are a fan of the supernatural, you will gobble this book right up, just like I did.

 Besides that, I loved the characters. I really liked Chloe for being honest in her narration, and how she really stood up for herself. She wasn't zapped immediately my any of the boys charms, which was a nice change. Each character was equaling intriguing-Simon, Derek, Rae, Liz, and Tori were characters that I was rushing to find out more about.

 The Summoning was an awesome start to a series, and has earned a place amongst my favorites. I really loved the creepiness of it- it just made the book what it is! So, if you're a fan of the supernatural, you should totally check this one out, if you haven't already.